Floating Dock Retention Device

ABSTRACT

A floating dock retention device. A flexible tether is adapted to retain a floating section to an adjacent structure, with a length defined between first and second positions along the flexible tether. A first clamp is affixed at the first position of the flexible tether, and a second clamp is affixed at the second position of the flexible tether. A drawbar spring with first and second ends is affixed to the first clamp at the first end and to the second clamp at the second end. The drawbar spring has a longer length when the drawbar spring is in a limit of its tension, and a shorter length when the drawbar spring is in a resting position. The longer length is no longer than the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether, and the shorter length produces slack in the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether.

FIELD

This invention relates to the field of cable tensioning. More particularly, this invention relates to a cable tensioning device for use with a floating dock.

INTRODUCTION

Floating docks are a convenient way to extend access across the water, such as for access to a boat or recreational purposes. Floating docks rise and fall with the water level, and so they tend to keep a relatively uniform distance between the top surface of the floating dock and the top surface of the water as it gradually rises and falls, which can be highly desirable. However, floating docks are also subject to other, more vigorous movement of the water in which they reside—rising and falling with both natural wave motion and man-made wake motion, for example.

Floating docks are often formed of several floating sections that are tethered together in some way, and which are then tethered to some type of structure that is at least somewhat stationary. Such stationary structures can include, for example, weights or anchors disposed on the bed of the body of water, other dock sections that are fixed on pylons, or structures disposed on nearby land. Structures that may be disposed on one or more sides of a floating section—whether they be another floating section or a stationary structure—are generally referred to herein as adjacent structures.

Flexible materials are often used for the tethers between adjacent structures, such as cables, straps, chains, and so forth, which can provide some amount of slack between adjacent structures, and allow some amount of relative movement between adjacent structures. The flexible tether allows the floating section to move up and down, forward and backward, side to side, and pitch and yaw relative to the adjacent structure.

However, when various forces produce movement in the floating section that would be in excess of the slack in the flexible tether, extreme forces can be exerted on both the tether and the connections that hold the tether to the adjacent structures.

In immediate and extreme situations, such forces can cause fatigue or failure of one or more of these elements, such as snapping the tether or pulling one or both of the connections away from the floating section and the adjacent structure. Even in less extreme situations, the natural and anticipated movement of the floating section relative to an adjacent structure will tend to cause failures such as those described above to one or more of the tether and the connections.

What is needed, therefore, is a device that tends to reduce issues such as those described above, at least in part.

SUMMARY

The above and other needs are met by a floating dock retention device. A flexible tether is adapted to retain a floating section to an adjacent structure, with a length defined between first and second positions along the flexible tether. A first clamp is affixed at the first position of the flexible tether, and a second clamp is affixed at the second position of the flexible tether. A drawbar spring with first and second ends is affixed to the first clamp at the first end and to the second clamp at the second end. The drawbar spring has a longer length when the drawbar spring is in a limit of its tension, and a shorter length when the drawbar spring is in a resting position. The longer length is no longer than the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether, and the shorter length produces slack in the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether.

In some embodiments according to this aspect of the invention, the drawbar spring is formed of steel. In some embodiments, the flexible tether is a cable. In some embodiments, the flexible tether is a chain. In some embodiments, the adjacent structure is another floating section. In some embodiments, the adjacent structure is a stationary structure. In some embodiments, the length defined between first and second positions along the flexible tether is about two feet. In some embodiments, a difference between the shorter length and the longer length of the drawbar spring is about six inches. In some embodiments, the first and second clamps are permanently affixed to the flexible tether.

According to another aspect of the invention there is described a method for retaining a floating dock. A flexible tether is affixed between a floating section and an adjacent structure, with a length defined between first and second positions along the flexible tether. A first clamp is affixed at the first position of the flexible tether, and a second clamp is affixed at the second position of the flexible tether. A first end of a drawbar spring is affixed to the first clamp, and a second end of the drawbar spring is affixed to the second clamp. The drawbar spring has a longer length when the drawbar spring is in a limit of its tension, and a shorter length when the drawbar spring is in a resting position. The longer length is no longer than the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether, and the shorter length produces slack in the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether.

DRAWINGS

Further advantages of the invention are apparent by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a compression spring with clamps attached to the ends.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a retention device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a retention device disposed between two adjacent sections of a dock.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a clamp.

DESCRIPTION

With reference now to FIG. 1 , there is depicted a perspective view of a drawbar spring 102 with clamps 104 attached to the ends thereof. The drawbar spring 102 includes a compression spring with internal elements that convert any tension force that is applied at the ends of the internal elements into a compression force that is applied to the compression spring. In its relaxed or resting position, the compression spring has spaces between the coils.

When a tension force is applied to the internal elements, which thereby applies a compressive force to the compression spring, the spaced coils of the compression spring move closer together and apply a resistance to the compression force, and thereby apply a resistance to the tension force applied at the ends of the internal elements of the drawbar spring 102. When the tension on the internal elements subsides, the compression spring expands back to a normal uncompressed (resting) state. In this manner the drawbar spring 102 provides a dampening effect to any spurious tensional forces that are applied to the drawbar spring 102.

With reference now to FIG. 2 , there is depicted a retaining device 200. The clamps 104 that are attached to the ends of the drawbar spring 102 are adapted to be clamped to a flexible tether 116, such that a length 114 of the flexible tether 116 is defined between two points 110 and 112, at which two points 110 and 112 the clamps 104 are attached. The flexible tether 116 is, in some embodiments, one or more a strap, cable, chain, or other such elements, and can be formed of one or more of steel, natural or manmade fiber rope, carbon fiber, or other such elements.

The clamps 104 are designed so as to be able to attach to the flexible tether 116 without cutting the flexible tether 116. In other words, the clamps 104 can be attached at any desired position along a length of an existing run of the flexible tether 116.

With additional reference now to FIG. 4 , the clamps 104 include structures, such as screws 106 and slot 108, that are designed to engage and selectively clamp to and retain the flexible tether 116, such that the clamps 104 do not slide along the flexible tether 116 when the clamps 104 are affixed thereto. Therefore, the length 114 of the flexible tether 116 that is set when the clamps 104 are attached to the flexible tether 116 at points 110 and 112 does not change during use of the retaining device 200. In some embodiments the clamps 104 include screws 106 for applying force to the clamping action, and a slot 108 for engaging a greater surface area of the flexible tether 116 during the clamping action.

The length 114 of the flexible tether 116 is selected so as to be no shorter than the length of the drawbar spring 102 when it is in a fully-extended condition with no spacing left between the coils of the spring. In this manner, the drawbar spring 102 can provide dampening to tension forces applied at either ends of the flexible tether 116, without the flexible tether 116 being pulled taut and possibly snapping along the length 114, or elsewhere. Thus, there is a slack in the flexible tether 116 in the length 114.

With reference now to FIG. 3 , there is depicted an embodiment where the retaining device 200 is disposed between two adjacent sections 302 of a dock in a body of water 306. In one embodiment, at least one of the adjacent sections 302 is a floating dock section. The other adjacent section 302 can be another floating section or a stationary structure, as defined elsewhere herein. The retaining device 200 is used to tether the two adjacent sections 302 to one another, so that the floating section doesn't float away in the water 306.

The retaining device 200 is affixed to the adjacent sections at points 304, which in various embodiments can take the form of cleats, nails, screws, clamps, ties, knots, loops, winches, or other such methods of affixing a flexible tether 116 to a floating dock section or stationary structure.

In some embodiments, docks 302 are secured to shore and outward anchors that are not movable (rocks, trees, concrete blocks that are placed under water). This is done using cables 116 connecting the dock 302 to these anchors. These cables 116 are connected to winches on the dock 302 in order to move the dock 302 in or out using the winches. These cables 116 secure the dock 302, and keep the dock 302 from moving either in or out once set by the winches.

The floating dock retention device 200 can be connected to the cables 116 (between the winches and the anchors) without disconnecting the cables 116 from their anchors or winches. This is done by the quick connect system 104, which requires only creating a small amount of slack 114 in the line 116. The device 200 is now in direct connection to the dock 302 and the anchor, allowing it to suppress the forces through the spring. The device 200 creates a redundant system to prevent the failure of the connection (such as the dock 302 breaking loose from its anchors). Once the drawbar spring 102 reaches its maximum compression, it can sustain much greater force before failure. The slack in the cable 114 will still act as a functioning cable 116 that is completely connected, in the case of complete failure of the device 200, such as if the device 200 were to completely pull apart.

In some embodiments, the device 200 is constructed of one or more of stainless-steel components, plastic-coated metal components, and other similar materials. The two quick-connect clamps 104 can be connected directly to the existing cables 116, without disconnecting the dock 302 from its anchors or winches.

The foregoing description of embodiments for this invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide illustrations of the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled. 

1. A floating dock retention device, comprising: a flexible tether adapted to retain a floating section to an adjacent structure, with a length defined between first and second positions along the flexible tether, a first clamp affixed at the first position of the flexible tether, a second clamp affixed at the second position of the flexible tether, and a drawbar spring having first and second ends, with the first end of the drawbar spring affixed to the first clamp and the second end of the drawbar spring affixed to the second clamp, where the drawbar spring has a longer length when the drawbar spring is in a limit of its tension, and a shorter length when the drawbar spring is in a resting position, and the longer length is no longer than the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether, and the shorter length produces slack in the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether.
 2. The floating dock retention device of claim 1, wherein the drawbar spring is formed of steel.
 3. The floating dock retention device of claim 1, wherein the flexible tether is a cable.
 4. The floating dock retention device of claim 1, wherein the adjacent structure is another floating section.
 5. The floating dock retention device of claim 1, wherein the adjacent structure is a stationary structure.
 6. The floating dock retention device of claim 1, wherein the length defined between first and second positions along the flexible tether is about two feet.
 7. The floating dock retention device of claim 1, wherein a difference between the shorter length and the longer length of the drawbar spring is about six inches.
 8. A method for retaining a floating dock, comprising: affixing a flexible tether between a floating section and an adjacent structure, defining a length between first and second positions along the flexible tether, affixing a first clamp at the first position of the flexible tether, affixing a second clamp at the second position of the flexible tether, and affixing a first end of a drawbar spring to the first clamp, affixing a second end of the drawbar spring to the second clamp, where the drawbar spring has a longer length when the drawbar spring is in a limit of its tension, and a shorter length when the drawbar spring is in a resting position, and the longer length is no longer than the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether, and the shorter length produces slack in the length between the first and second positions of the flexible tether.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the drawbar spring is formed of steel.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the flexible tether is a cable.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the adjacent structure is another floating section.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the adjacent structure is a stationary structure.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the length defined between first and second positions along the flexible tether is about two feet.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein a difference between the shorter length and the longer length of the drawbar spring is about six inches. 